PRIDE IN THE PHILIPPINES The Philippines held the first-ever LGBT Pride March in Asia on June 26, 1994, 25 years after the Stonewall riot (Photo: Fr. Richard Mickley | Facebook)

With the month of June comes the flurry of rainbows and multicolored flags, a sign that Pride Month has come in full swing.

Affirmations and cries of support mark the momentous occasion, with its main highlight being the Pride parade, where people from all over march in solidarity with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. While the joyful atmosphere and cheery nature of the celebration are widespread today, Pride Month’s origin was anything but.
While many might remember the 1960s fondly as a drug-fueled hippie paradise a la Woodstock, it was also a time of discrimination and violence.

It was a bleak period, when something as simple as the color of your skin could lead to harassment, abuse, or even lynching. For members of the LGBTQIA+ in the US, it was no different.
Archaic laws of the time viewed homosexuality as a disease, with some states even banning it outright. To escape the rampant prejudice, LGBTQIA+ individuals took to gathering at gay bars and clubs where they could freely express themselves and socialize with no worries.

Despite this newfound haven for many, some US states decided to crack down on such venues by sending the police to disperse any gatherings. In New York City, the State Liquor Authority ruled that establishments would be penalized and their liquor licenses revoked if they were caught serving alcohol to known or suspected LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Seeing a lucrative opportunity arise, the ban caught the attention of the Mafia. According to History.com, the Genovese crime family, a member of the notorious Five Families that oversaw criminal operations in New York during that time, took control of many gay bars in southern Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. In 1966, one of its members, Tony Lauria, purchased the Stonewall Inn.

A FIGURE OF RESISTANCE Marsha P. Johnson is largely credited as one of the patrons who initiated the Stonewall riot after being fed up with the harassment of LGBTQIA+ people by police (Photo: Pay It No Mind | Redux Pictures)

The Stonewall Inn was a hit among the community due to its cheap admission fees and for letting its doors open to drag queens, who were often looked down upon in other gay bars and clubs.

It was not a perfect place, let alone safe, with no fire exit at the back and no running water at all in the building. Members of the Mafia were also notoriously known for extorting some of the wealthier patrons who preferred keeping their sexuality secret. A loophole that had patrons bringing their own drinks was in place so that the bar could operate without a liquor license. Bribes led to cops ignoring the place, with the business often tipped off about any potential raids.

On the night of June 28, 1969, an untipped police raid took place. Up to 13 people were arrested, leading to rising tensions at the scene. Rather than let the violent apprehension of police officers slide, community members started to fight back.

Marsha P. Johnson, a trans woman, is largely credited as one of the patrons who initiated the retaliation. Different accounts claim she threw a shot glass at a window, which inspired others to join in what is now known as the Stonewall riots. Members of the community started to form a barricade around many of the patrons.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Stonewall Inn provided a safe haven for LGBTQIA+ people to socialize and freely express themselves without any worries of being discriminated against or arrested (Photo: The Stonewall Inn | Instagram)

A year later on June 28, 1970, the first gay pride marches took place in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco to remember the events that took place that night at Stonewall Inn.
The marches were ultimately a call for protecting LGBT rights. In 1999, former US President Bill Clinton officially recognized June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Former US President Barack Obama expanded Pride Month in 2011 to include all members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

He also declared Stonewall Inn and its surrounding areas as the Stonewall National Monument in 2016 to commemorate the area’s contribution to gay rights, making it the first-ever LGBTQIA+ US National Park site.

Meanwhile, the Philippines takes pride in being the first country in Asia to hold the first-ever LGBT Pride March on June 26, 1994, 25 years after the Stonewall riot. Organized by the Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (PROGAY Philippines) and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Manila, the pioneering event took place in Quezon City.

This year, Metro Manila Pride has announced that Pride March 2023 will take place at the Circuit Event Grounds in Makati City on Saturday, June 24. The theme for this year is, ‘Tayo ang Kulayaan! Samo’t-saring Lakas, Sama-sama sa Landas!’ More details will be made available through the Metro Manila Pride’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.